Childhood friends
by smileyface8524
Summary: Jess lost her memory a year ago. She was content with living her life on the run, until a ninja dressed in white comes along and starts killing her friends to get her attention. He's not the only one who wants her though, another ninja, this one dressed in black, also has claims over her. What will she do? Will she ever be able to live a "normal" life again?
1. Who Are You?

Her eyes snapped up from the book she was reading, to the man with blond hair and green eyes that stumbled through her front door. His breathing was heavy and uneven as he crumpled to the ground. Her eyes widened at the streaks of blood his hands left on the ground. "Liam!" She cried. "Who did this to you?"

"There was this guy looking for this girl. When we said we didn't know her he took out a sword and starting attacking the citizens." His voice got softer as his words ran together. She watched in horror as he fell unconscious from blood loss.

Quick with desperation she ran to her katana, strapping it to her back, before running towards the screams of pain. The sight when she got there was horrific, there were the bodies of her friends, dead, or in the process of dying.

Tearing her eyes away from the sight, she looked upon the man, whose white clothes were now stained with the blood of his victims. He quickly cut down his last opponent before turning to her. His sadistic smile caused her blood to boil with rage. How could he not feel even the tiniest bit of remorse for the people he carelessly slaughtered?

"I knew you would show up if I killed someone." His amused voice only aggravated her more.

She forced herself to calm down before answering. When she did, her voice held a cold hardness that caused even him to back away slightly. "What do you want with me?" Why did these people keep coming after her? She didn't even know she was for crying out loud.

The amusement he still held wavered, showing a hint of something, anger maybe? "I want to once again claim what is mine. Is that so bad?"

She let her left foot drop back, pulling out her katana in one swift move. She may not remember who she was, but she did remember how to fight, the only thing that has kept her alive until now. Many have come for her in the past year, she cut them down one by one, and moved from town to town to avoid others. The only thing that was new this time was that they were attacking the villagers.

Her blood pumped with adrenaline and rage. She cleared her mind, focusing solely on the person in front of her. She watched, studied him as he lunged forward, swinging for her torso. She easily blocked and landed a hard kick, pushing him back several feet. Without giving him time to recover she jumped, swinging for her head. One second later and she would have had her revenge.

She jumped as he swept for her feet, aiming another kick, this time for the leg that held his weight. He dropped to the side just in time, avoiding breaking his knee by a mere inch, punching her in the gut.

She gasped for breath as she landed on the blood soaked ground. Watching him lunge, she rolled to the side, narrowly avoiding being decapitated. Using the roll to his advantage he kicked her in the ribs, sending her flying a few feet before diving to pin her. He couldn't give her any chance to get back up.

As she continued to struggle under his iron grip, he shifted his hold on her hands so that he could grab a dagger from his hip. What he didn't expect when he placed the cold metal to her throat was for her to keep struggling. Even as the metal dug a path for blood to flow freely, she kept trying to get away. "You stupid girl, just stop it already." He angrily snapped.

His command went unheard as she continued to lash out at her attacker, the same man who killed her friends. He was a threat to the rest of them, if she didn't stop him now, he could easily kill the whole town.

He sighed and tried one last thing before he would knock her out. He placed the bloody weapon on the ground, grabbed her chin, and forced her to look at him. "Jess, it's me, Storm."

She paused a moment as the unfamiliar name filled her ears. Something about it was just so comforting. Was that really her name? Jess, she liked the sound of it. If he knew her name, did that mean he could tell her of her past?

Storm Shadow calmed down as he watched his childhood friend react in a positive manor. He had been waiting for a year for Destro to let him search for her. Every time a viper came back dead he worried that McCullen would finally snap and just order her dead. Instead he smiled, saying she would be a valuable addition to the team.

All positive thought left Jess as she remembered that he had killed her friends, it didn't matter whether he knew her or not. Feeling him relax, she used it against his, quick as she could she unpinned her leg, kneeing him off of her. She smiled at his momentary confusion. "You killed the people i care about, and then expect me to just listen to you when you use a random name. Wow you're dense." She quickly picked up his katana that he had dropped and got ready, somehow she knew that he was dangerous, with or without his weapon.

His eyes flashed with anger. Could she really not remember anything? A month ago he heard rumors that she had lost her memories, but he didn't actually believe it. He didn't want to, she is still one of the strongest people he knows. If she really lost her memory, was the reason behind it also true? If so Ragnarok would pay for what they took away from him.

She felt fear rise in the pit of her stomach from the look he now held. She resisted the urge to run, knowing it would be dangerous to turn her back to him. Instead she watched him, waiting for him to make the first move.

As he watched for her to get distracted, he studied her body language. She was slowly inching her way back, whether she was conscious of it or not, he wasn't sure. She was frightened and tense, why wouldn't she be? She had no way of knowing he wouldn't hurt her.

Using the plane to his advantage, he didn't hesitate. He lunged forward, colliding his body with hers. He ignored the flash of pain as she dug the katana into his back, as he once again pinned her. Not one to make the same mistake twice, he used a pressure point to knock her out immediately.

He let himself have a moment to relax before contacting the vipers that were nearby. "Come pick her up." He commanded.

No sooner then he said that command, did he have to jump to his katana and block the bullet. He watched as some Joes walked from the protection of the forest. Without a second thought he grabbed some throwing stars, not missing a single target. Three of the five crumpled to the ground. Satisfied with the results, he quickly pulled two more, only for Snake Eyes to block these while running at him.

Knowing that he couldn't win this one with his injured back, he ran to Jess and picked her up. He wouldn't let her get away from him again. Snake Eyes, however, seem to have different plans for their childhood friend. Kicking Storm Shadow in the back, he skillfully caught the unconscious woman, letting his rival get away in the process. Content with just getting her back, he carried her back to the plane.

'Don't worry.' He thought. 'I'll protect you.'

_This is my first fanfiction, so I want to know how I'm doing so far. Please read and respond._


	2. What Now?

When Jess woke up, she kept her eyes closed, studying the room around her with her other senses. The beep from a machine and the soft cot let her know she was in a medical ward. The handcuffs and the change in outfit showed that these people didn't trust her.

Her body tensed slightly as the sounds of two people were heard entering the room, though she quickly forced herself to relax. "So, this is Jessica Rose Ashley, the girl we've been trying to recruit for a while now." A voice that demanded attention stated. "Every time we would get close to tracking her down, she would disappear again."

"With all due respect sir, how can we trust her if she kept running from us?" A female voice spoke up this time. Jess had to admit, she found herself slightly impressed by the girl, already she could see what her boss couldn't. They had kidnapped her, and he was expecting her to just surrender? If there was one thing Jess didn't do, it was give up without a fight.

"It wasn't us that she was running from, it was COBRA." His voice was hard as he sprouted off facts, whether they were true or not, she had no clue. "She was presumed dead five years ago, suddenly disappearing after an assassination mission. It wasn't until last year that she reappeared, getting sent to a hospital in Canada after being shot in the arm. We asked the hospital to hold her there for a day or two until we could come pick her up, but some of COBRA's men showed up before us. By the time we got there, she already gone without a trace. For the past year we have been trying to track her movements, though it was particularly hard as she has been very well trained."

When his little speech was over the other girl was quiet, not knowing what to say. Jess continued to lie there, deciding to believe if this man was telling the truth or not. Some of the facts were true; she had indeed woken up shot in the arm and taken to a hospital. She was even first attacked there, moving around ever since. If that was true, did that mean this man really did want to help her? Was it really another group that had been attacking her up until now? Was it even these guys that attacked her village? If so, what happened while she was out?

She stayed quiet, waiting for the answers, though they never came. Instead they turned as someone else walked into the room. She strained to hear what the man was saying, to no avail.

"She's awake?" The man suddenly spoke, sounding surprised.

She opened her eyes, knowing it would be no use to her now. She studied the three in front of her. The intelligent girl turned out to have gorgeous red hair and beautiful green eyes. She was well built, though it was easy to tell she relied on weapons rather than hand to hand combat, though she would be able to handle herself well if it did come to that. She was dressed simply, black sweat pants and a black tank top.

The guy who had spoken had on grey camouflage pants, a black shirt and huge combat boots. His dark eyes, and hair cut short in a military fashion. The air around him gave her chills, he was someone who was respected and followed. His smile threw her off though.

The last one to enter was the one she had to look out for the most though. He was well built, and an expert in fighting. He was withdrawn, his black suit showing he didn't trust many people on a personal level. Even through his black visor, she could tell he was watching her intently, studying her every move, waiting for her to do something.

The leader of the group spoke up first. "Hello Jess, it's nice to finally meet you. My name is General Hawk. This right here is Scarlett." The girl nodded respectfully. "And this here is Snake Eyes." The guy dressed in black gave a nod as well.

Jess laid her eyes once again on Hawk. "As I don't seem to have to introduce myself, I'll just ask a few questions. First of all, where am I?"

"You are at G.I. Joe headquarters, more commonly known as the pit." Hawk responded.

As he tried to continue Jess cut him off. "Next question, why did you bring me here?"

His eyes flashed briefly with annoyance, but he continued anyways. "You were about to be captured by COBRA. We thought it would be best for everyone involved if you did not end up in their hands."

"Handcuffing me to a bed, what's that about?" If he really wasn't a threat, he didn't have to immobilize her.

"We were not sure how you would respond when you woke up. That was simply a safety precaution. Snake." He turned expectantly towards the man in black. Snake seemed to get the hint and produced a key from somewhere behind his back.

When he was finished with the cuffs, she spoke up. "What now?" She really didn't trust anyone here, not even a little, though they were being upfront.

"Snake here will give you a tour of the base. From what I understand, you two are close friends." His voice gave no hint of doubt, even though he was completely wrong.

She didn't let him know that though. If everyone here thought she trusted them, it would be easier to escape. She nodded briefly before standing up, reluctantly walking over to Snake Eyes, he was the one she least trusted here.

When she was close enough to the man he slipped out without another word to the two they left behind. As they walked along the halls she had to practically jog to keep up with him. "Can you slow down a little?" She asked, never one to hold back from what she wanted. As though agreeing, he slowed his pace a little, allowing her to walk beside him.

_This is my second chapter and I really want to know what you guys think. Please review!_

_Also I need your guy's help! I can't figure out a code name for my character. Please review or PM me if you have any ideas._


	3. What Happened?

After the tour, Snake Eyes led Jess to his personal practice space. He had noticed something was off was off about her, she wasn't her usual energetic, carefree self. It was hard for him not to pull her into a hug, or ask her what was wrong, but he knew she had always hated that sort of thing. Instead, every time she was feeling down, it would cheer her up to spar with him or Storm Shadow.

Walking into the separate room, a smile tugged at his lips at the look on her face. The walls were white, the floor a soft wrestling mat. On the far wall there were all kinds of weapons, from throwing stars to katanas. In all three of the corners not connected to the door, there were large punching bags. He had designed this room for her if she ever came to G.I. Joe, so he was really happy that she liked it.

He watched as her eyes danced across the large practice space before landing on her very own katana he had put up earlier. Without a moment's hesitation, she walked towards the black handled, freshly sharpened weapon, talking to out of its sheath to make sure it was not damaged. Running her hand over the cold metal, a relaxed smile appeared on her lips, she always did feel safer with a weapon in her hands.

Snake Eyes took a step towards his old friend. "**Are you feeling better?**" He signed.

She nodded reluctantly. "Yeah. Can I ask you something?"

He tilted his head a little at the nervousness in her voice, but nodded.

"Why was I brought here? And where even is here?" She questioned him, trying to sound relaxed, but he knew her better than that.

He let out a small sigh, deciding it would be better to tell her the truth. "**After I was told that you were dead, I refused to believe Storm Shadow.**" He stopped briefly when he noticed the slight scrunch of confusion that she got, but he continued before she could notice. She would shut herself off from him if she knew that he was worried. "**So, after confirming the information, I got Breaker to run a continual check on you. After you appeared again, I was the one who wanted you brought here, not Hawk. So for a year I searched for you, and here you finally are.**" He stopped when he finally finished, he had never talked that much to anyone. Then again, she wasn't just anyone.

At first Jess didn't move, just processed what he just said. When she did, she took a step away from him, terrified of the man before her. In the year that she could remember, she had assumed that everybody in her past wanted her so they could use her. She didn't want to be used, she ran away from the people who wanted her for selfish reasons. She had to get away from this place, away from him.

Snake Eyes started to panic as he watched his friend suddenly run from the room. Not knowing what to do, he ran after her. After a few minutes of chasing her, she finally hesitated when she was stared down by the vast dessert, and when she did he tackled her. She started to kick and punch, but he quickly pinned her. When she managed to calm down, all the energy left her body in a flood. He didn't let her go or loosen his grip though, he knew from past experiences that she could strike at any moment, ready or not.

Looking into her eyes, he could see the pain and anger from the past clearly. Something happened in the time she disappeared, something someone would have to pay for. What he had to do was find out was what that something was, and who did it to her. Looking at her like this, she was far from strong and confident person he once knew.

Not being able to stand the look for too long he pressed the pressure point, quickly sedating terrified girl in front of him. He then carried her to his room so that he could keep an eye on her. Getting to the lounge, the rest of his team gave him identical looks of confusion.

"Who is that?" Heavy Duty asked with his heavy British accent.

Scarlet cleared her throat, making the two guys look to her. "That's Jessica, the girl that Snake was told to give a tour too."

"So that's Jess?" Breaker turned to Snake for confirmation.

Snake nodded in agreement before walking to his room. Heavy Duty walked over to him, placing a hand on his shoulder. Getting his hint, Snake reluctantly handed Jess to him so that he could punch in the code.

"Tell us what happened after you get her settled in." The huge guy commanded while handing the sleeping girl back to Snake Eyes.

As a sign he understood, he nodded as he turned to get her comfortable. He placed her down on him bed and tucked her in. Pushing the hair from her face, he studied her features. With her milky skin, and her long straight honey brown hair, she had been as different from their clan then he had. It had been shortly after he had joined his new family that they had also adopted her. At first she was quiet and withdrawn, nobody wanting to talk to her due to her deep blue eyes watching every move you made, making it seem as though she could see right through you.

It even took him a month just to be able to approach her. When he did, he was surprised at the smile she gave him, one full of kindness. It didn't take long for him to get attached; once you got to know her well enough, she was full of energy and surprises. The only downside was that Storm Shadow also decided to befriend the young beautiful girl, causing their fights to get even more intense. When she decided to train with the two boys, that's when they truly started to hate each other, they both wanted to keep the girl they had grown attached to, to themselves.

What hurt Snake Eyes the most though, is that she always refused to believe that is was Storm Shadow who killed their hard master. She even followed the traitor to make sure he was okay, and grew sad that she wasn't able to catch up to him. She was too nice and trusting for her own good, one of these days Storm Shadow would hurt her worse them she already was.

Scarlett's voice brought him out of the past and his worries. "Snake?" He turned from where he was still leaning over his dear friend, to look at the girl leaning against his door frame. "Are you okay?"

He nodded quickly before leaving Jess' side, walking back to the lounge where his team awaited the answers to their pressing questions.

_Third chapters up, what did you guys think? Please review! I am always looking for feedback, and for new ideas. _


End file.
